Apparatus for sorting and grading fruits and vegetables.



H. M. GILBERT.

APPARATUS FOR SORTIN G AND GRADING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. APPLICATIONFILED DEC. 28, 1912,

Patented Jan.6,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WJTNESSES zmwlmm H. M. GILBERT. 4 APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND GRADINGFRUITSAND VEGETABLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.28,1912. 1,0833977.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

Patented Jan, 6, 191 i l is a top plan view;

UNITED STATES HORACE M. GILBERT, OF NORTH. YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

APPARATUS "FOR SGRTING Losaser.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AND GRADING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Patented Jan. 6, 1 91%..

Application filed December 28, 1912. Serial No. 739,132.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HORACE M. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Yakirnmin county of Yakima and State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forSorting and Grading Fruits and Vegetables, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for sorting andgrading fruits and vegetables, and the object is to provide an endlessbelt mounted on a frame upon which belt the fruit or vegetables aredeposited, and means mounted upon the frame adapted to sort the fruitand grade it according to its size and discharge it to the sides of thetable so that the fruit is sorted to suit the operator.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter fully de scribed andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,--Figure Fig. 2 is a view in sideelevation; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

A represents a table which is supported by uprights 1, 1. The frameofthe table A has rollers 2, 2, at the end thereof. An

endless belt B is mounted upon the rollers 2. One of the rollersis'provided with a crank handle 3 atone end whereby the; roller can beoperated manually for driving the belt B or the belt can be placed overthe pulley 4 which is on the same end as the galndle 3 for the purposeof driving the Cross bars 5, 5, are supported upon the table frame A atpredetermined intervals by means of standards 6, 6.- Arms .7 projectdownwardly from each bar 5 and supported by each arm 7 of each bar 5 arecurved rods 8, 8. These curved rods 8 are preferably provided with arubber covering or tubing 9 as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

Located adjacent to the first set of rods 8 are tables D and E, andopposite the second set of rods 8 are tables M and L. The fruit is fedor deposited upon an end of the table termed the receiving end and asorter stands at'this point sorting the apples, causing the good applesto travel through the center of the belt and between the rods 8, whilethe apples that are poorly colored are fed to the opposite side of thetable so that they are carried and fed on to the table E. while theblemished or worm affected apples are removed to the near side of thetabie so that the rod 8 feeds the applea on to the table D. The applesare taken from the tables I) and E and packed accordingly. lVhen it isdesired to sort the apples into sizes, a sorter who is stationed at Gsorts the apples into three sizes, distributmg them so that one sizepasses between the rods 8 and are fed to the end of the table onto aplatform K, while others are fed onto a table or plat-form L, and thethird size is ,fed onto the platform or table M. When it is desiredthese two sorters can have assist-ants stationed at the points N, N.

It is to be noted that the rods 8 project rearwardly from the bars 5 ina straight line but curve outwardly as they project in a forwarddirection and beyond the cross bars 5 so that the frat? or vegetablesare fed onto the platforms according to their sizes or grades.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means wherebythe fruit or vegetables can be graded and discharged onto the platformsor tables along the sides of the table frame A so that they can bepacked ready for shipment according to their grades. Furthermore, thereis less liability of brhising or injuring the apples when they arehandled upon the traveling belt because ithey can be moved across thebelt by the operators or sorters, and they are gradually and easily fedonto the tables so that there is little or no danger of the ap ples orvegetables being bruised.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a grader of fruits. vegetables and thelike, the combination with a frame having rollers journaled therein, ofan endless belt mounted on the rollers means for driving the belt, astationary cross bar supported by the frame and above the table, andmeans suspended from the cross bar for conveying the fruit olf at theouter edges of the belt, said means so located with respect to the beltthat a central and uninterrupted passage is formed throughout the lengthof the machine.

In a grader, the combination with a table frame having rollers journaledtherein, of an endless belt mounted upon the rollers, means for drivingthe belt, tables lo catcd at intervals along the frame, stationary crossbars mounted upon the frame and extending at an elevationecross thebelt, and from the cross bars for conducting the fruit or vegetablesonto the tables at the edges of the belt andlocetcd along the edges ofthe hell; forming a central passage through the length of the machine.

In a grader, "the combination with a frame having an endless beltmounted upon the rollers, means for driving cross bars mounted 1 Jon thetending at an elevati tionar curved meml rame and ex- 11 across thebelt, staers mounted upon the stationary curved members suspended crossbars, and located over the bell; for conducting fruit to the edges ofthe belt, said members located with respect to each other for centralpassage e throughout the length of the machine, and tables located alongthe sides of the frame and at the end of the frame for receivin thefruit discharged at the edges of the frame by the bars and the fruitdischarged at the end.

In testimony whereof I aflix my sign atu're, in the presence of twoWitnesses.

HORACE M. GILBERT. Witnesses VELMA VAN BUSKIRK,

W. WABRELL.

